The Butterfly Effect, the butterfly Y2K trend in fashion history From Schiaparelli to Mugler's iconic butterfly-dress in a wing flap

The revival of the 2000s that depopulated on social networks under the hashtags #00sfashion, #y2kstyle, did not only revive the low rise trousers, the glittery make-up and the teenage coolness that characterized all the television characters of those years, but also an overlooked trend: the hashtag #butterfly has garnered 3.1 billion views on TikTok alone. It's hard not to stumble upon your feed in a Chopova Lowena choker or a post by Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid or Kylie Jenner with hair clips, crochet knits, or butterfly filters. Pop trends are, also in this case, the synthesis of something already in the air for some time: from the first appearances to today, what lies behind the rise in fashion iconography of one of the most fickle creatures in the natural world?

From the first gaudy lepidopteran prints in Paris in the 1920s to the international catwalks, the trend seems to have undergone the homonymous butterfly effect over the years: since the first butterfly patterned tuxedos, this particular animal print has become a constant on the catwalks of every generation, synonymous with romanticism, innocence, metamorphosis and, according to the opinion of trend setters, of good taste.